Lettuce, artichoke and courgette production has reportedly been seriously affected in the Spanish region of Murcia, with an estimated 4,000ha of lettuce said to have been destroyed in the area.
Describing the situation as “disastrous”, regional exporter association Proexport said the damage to crops had been caused by prolonged – between 10 to 12 hours – of temperatures below zero in the south-eastern Spanish region.
According to the Murcia-based organisation, severe frosts late last week affected production in the zones of Guadalentín Valley, Cartagena, Aguilas and Mazarrón, as well as in the province of Pulpí in neighbouring Almería.
In addition to the damage to lettuce production, which included iceberg, romana, little gem and other varieties, Proexport said that artichoke production had suffered “catastrophic” damage, with almost all of the plants in the area affected.
In a statement, Proexport president Juan Marín Bravo said: “The weather is significantly compromising the development of Spanish exports, principally products like lettuce and artichokes, during the Christmas period when Murcia’s exporters (normally) achieve their most important sales.”
